2011 Extremely Early Mock Draft - 5 comments

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After a long offseason, the Cafe has finally gotten that football fever again and it’s that time for the 2011 Cafe’s Extra Early Mock Draft! Twelve intrepid fantasy football players were hard at work to give us a taste of what will come (should we have an NFL season) in the fall. Without any expert opinions and next to nothing except for 2010 stats to go on, the draft was an interesting one, but our mockers bravely forged ahead through 16 rounds. Without further adieu …

Mock Draft Settings

LINEUPS
1 QB
2 RB
3 WR
1 TE
1 K
1 D/ST
7 man bench

OFFENSIVE SCORING
Passing Yards (25 yards per point)
Passing Touchdowns (4)
Interceptions (-1)
Rushing Yards (10 yards per point)
Rushing Touchdowns (6)
Reception Yards (10 yards per point)
Reception Touchdowns (6)
Receptions (1.0 points each)
2-Point Conversions (2)
Fumbles Lost (-1)
Offensive Fumble Return TD (6)

KICKERS
0-49 FG = 3 points
50+ FG = 5 points
PAT = 1 point
missed PAT = -1 points

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Sack = 1 point
INT = 2 points
FR = 2 points
Blocked Kick = 3 points
Safety = 4 points
Kickoff and Punt Return Touchdowns (6)

0 points against (PA) = 10 points
1-6 PA = 8 points
7-13 PA = 5 points
14-20 PA = 2 points
21-27 PA = 0 points
28-34 PA = -2 points
35+ PA = -4 points

Let’s jump right into the draft.

Round 1

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
Kareighuis	1.01	Chris Johnson	RB	Tennessee Titans
Indibuck	1.02	Adrian Peterson	RB	Minnesota Vikings
scottaa1	1.03	Arian Foster	RB	Houston Texans
FFslacker	1.04	Maurice Jones-Drew	RB	Jacksonville Jaguars
TruNinerFan	1.05	Ray Rice	RB	Baltimore Ravens
WaCougMBS	1.06	Jamaal Charles	RB	Kansas City Chiefs
Cowboys 4 Life	1.07	LeSean McCoy	RB	Philadelphia Eagles
The Lung	1.08	Darren McFadden	RB	Oakland Raiders
logan	1.09	Rashard Mendenhall	RB	Pittsburgh Steelers
Sex Panther	1.10	Andre Johnson	WR	Houston Texans
aaawall91	1.11	Roddy White	WR	Atlanta Falcons
FantasyFutballGuru13	1.12	Calvin Johnson	WR	Detroit Lions

Round 1 was not much of a surprise to anyone, with the usual suspects going high while last year’s wonder, Arian Foster, went at 1.03 to round out the top five. Not many surprises were to be found in the first round, though the biggest question mark seemed to have been Jamaal Charles at 1.06. Drafter scottaa1 had this to say on the matter:

“Wondered where Charles would go in the first… not sure I would have taken him that early, but it’s still a fine pick. If he can find the endzone more he will put up crazy numbers.”

His remarks on the subject seem to reflect my own views on Charles. But with the aging and decline of Thomas Jones, he should see an increase in TDs next season as the Chiefs’ passing attack continues to evolve. Round 1 was rounded out with three wide receivers. Though all three are formidable receivers and clearly in the top five, I am not certain I agree with the picks, as I am a proponent of taking RBs early and often.

Round 2

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
FantasyFutballGuru13	2.01	Matt Forte	RB	Chicago Bears
aaawall91	2.02	Hakeem Nicks	WR	New York Giants
Sex Panther	2.03	Michael Turner	RB	Atlanta Falcons
logan	2.04	Larry Fitzgerald	WR	Arizona Cardinals
The Lung	2.05	Michael Vick	QB	Philadelphia Eagles
Cowboys 4 Life	2.06	Reggie Wayne	WR	Indianapolis Colts
WaCougMBS	2.07	Dwayne Bowe	WR	Kansas City Chiefs
TruNinerFan	2.08	Frank Gore	RB	San Francisco 49ers
FFslacker	2.09	Peyton Hillis	RB	Cleveland Browns
scottaa1	2.10	Steven Jackson	RB	St. Louis Rams
Indibuck	2.11	Greg Jennings	WR	Green Bay Packers
Kareighuis	2.12	Mike Wallace	WR	Pittsburgh Steelers

Enter Round 2, with many more controversial picks to discuss. Matt Forte leads us off at 2.01 after a good 2010 season. I really like this pick. Chicago has an evolving passing offense, and in years past, Brian Westbrook showed us how effective a good receiving RB can be in a passing offense. I expect to see him meet or outplay his draft position by a small margin. The second round also featured the savior of many fantasy players’ seasons and a man found on many championship rosters: Peyton Hillis. Few could have seen “The Avalanche” doing what he did, and I myself benefited from his nearly unstoppable play in the early season. Late second round seems appropriate, since he slowed down at the end of the season, but none of our drafters could let him slip too far and whether he repeats remains to be seen. Finally, the question on everyone’s mind at the start of the draft was finally answered at 2.05, with the taking of Mike Vick, who was a wrecking machine when he had the chance in 2010, singlehandedly winning games and carrying myself and others to the championship. Drafters will almost certainly be drawn to taking him early because of his dual threat ability. Though I am not a proponent of taking QBs that early, the drafters seemed to agree this was a good place for him. Drafter indibuck had this to say on the matter:

“I’m not a fan of drafting QBs early, but Vick would not have made it past me at 2.11. I think he’s shown that he can be that much better than every other QB.”

Round 3

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
Kareighuis	3.01	Miles Austin	WR	Dallas Cowboys
Indibuck	3.02	Brandon Marshall	WR	Miami Dolphins
scottaa1	3.03	DeSean Jackson	WR	Philadelphia Eagles
FFslacker	3.04	Wes Welker	WR	New England Patriots
TruNinerFan	3.05	Marques Colston	WR	New Orleans Saints
WaCougMBS	3.06	Knowshon Moreno	RB	Denver Broncos
Cowboys 4 Life	3.07	Aaron Rodgers	QB	Green Bay Packers
The Lung	3.08	LeGarrette Blount	RB	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
logan	3.09	Johnathan Stewart	RB	Carolina Panthers
Sex Panther	3.10	Dez Bryant	WR	Dallas Cowboys
aaawall91	3.11	Tom Brady	QB	New England Patriots
FantasyFutballGuru13	3.12	Jeremy Maclin	WR	Philadelphia Eagles

Round 3 was our first thoroughly mixed round, with all the major positions well represented. Aaron Rodgers (3.07) and Tom Brady (3.11) become the second and third QBs off the board. Three RBs were taken, while the remaining seven picks were WRs. I think that this will be typical of Round 3 in upcoming mocks and legitimate drafts as well. The first pick that stands out to me is Knowshon Moreno. I am always a fan of RBs early and often, and Moreno has proven to be a solid contender. Denver also seems to be improving in passing options, with Orton’s good season and the emergence of Tebow. With Lloyd and Royal headlining a decent passing attack, I think Moreno will outplay this position as running lanes continue to open up. The last two picks that stand out are Bryant at 3.10 and Maclin at 3.12. Each drafter had glowing things to say on the subject. Drafter Sex Panther had this to say about Bryant:

“It’s an early mock, but what the hell, I absolutely loved what I saw out of Dez when he was healthy, and at this point will reach if I have to next fall. Guy has all the tools to be a MONSTER for the next decade.”

I would tend to agree. I liked much of what I saw out of Bryant before his injury. Drafter FantasyFutballGuru13 had this to say about Maclin:

“I really think he’s going to be the better true receiver between him and DeSean Jackson. This is his third year, he scored double digit TDs last year, and barring some catastrophe the Eagles should score a whole lot of points this season – translates to a very high ceiling.”

As an Eagles fan, I can agree. Though I love watching Jackson play, Maclin has been a consistent, excellent receiver, doing the little things right. I expect to continue seeing excellent things out of him.

Round 4

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
FantasyFutballGuru13	4.01	Ryan Mathews	RB	San Diego Chargers
aaawall91	4.02	Percy Harvin	WR	Minnesota Vikings
Sex Panther	4.03	Jahvid Best	RB	Detroit Lions
logan	4.04	Stevie Johnson	WR	Buffalo Bills
The Lung	4.05	Mike Williams	WR	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cowboys 4 Life	4.06	Cedric Benson	RB	Cincinnati Bengals
WaCougMBS	4.07	Jason Witten	TE	Dallas Cowboys
TruNinerFan	4.08	Vincent Jackson	WR	San Diego Chargers
FFslacker	4.09	Brandon Lloyd	WR	Denver Broncos
scottaa1	4.10	Peyton Manning	QB	Indianapolis Colts
Indibuck	4.11	Ahmad Bradshaw	RB	New York Giants
Kareighuis	4.12	DeAngelo Williams	RB	Carolina Panthers

Round 4 was the first round where we begin to see each individual drafter’s plans coming out, with less of the set “necessary” guys coming off the board. This round saw the taking of last season’s disappointing Ryan Mathews (4.01), the hit or miss Jahvid Best (4.03), and the first TE off the board, Jason Witten (4.07). The venerable Peyton Manning falls to the latter portion of the round on the back of his disappointing season. I happen to like this pick a lot, especially if this were a real league. Manning is most likely going to fall a bit further than he would have in previous years, but if his tools stay at their current level, I think he’ll be as good as ever next season. Drafter scottaa1 had fulfilled his top two RB spots as well as his #1 WR position before taking Manning, making this a very intelligent choice on his part. Was this a legitimate league, I’d like his chances with those top four guys headlining his team.

Round 5

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
Kareighuis	5.01	Kenny Britt	WR	Tennessee Titans
Indibuck	5.02	Drew Brees	QB	New Orleans Saints
scottaa1	5.03	Dallas Clark	TE	Indianapolis Colts
FFslacker	5.04	Jermichael Finley	TE	Green Bay Packers
TruNinerFan	5.05	Antonio Gates	TE	San Diego Chargers
WaCougMBS	5.06	Philip Rivers	QB	San Diego Chargers
Cowboys 4 Life	5.07	Vernon Davis	TE	San Francisco 49ers
The Lung	5.08	Shonn Greene	RB	New York Jets
logan	5.09	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	RB	New England Patriots
Sex Panther	5.10	Sidney Rice	WR	Minnesota Vikings
aaawall91	5.11	Reggie Bush	RB	New Orleans Saints
FantasyFutballGuru13	5.12	Tony Gonzalez	TE	Atlanta Falcons

Round 5 began with the drafters beginning to reach for some depth. It seemed to be the time to take TEs, with five of them alone being drafted. Antonio Gates at 5.05 and Vernon Davis at 5.07 are my two favorite TEs taken this round. Gates is consistently a top performer, and as one of Rivers’ favorite targets in San Diego’s high powered offense, he should continue see huge production. As the fourth TE off the board, he very well could end up in the top two like years past. Another pick I really like this round is “Law Firm” (BenJarvus Green-Ellis) at 5.09. BJGE was a huge contributor to the Patriots offense last season and another waiver wire wonder for many fantasy players. If the Patriots offense falls into place that BJGE is once again the feature back, this could be a huge value for logan as his number three RB.

Round 6

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
FantasyFutballGuru13	6.01	Felix Jones	RB	Dallas Cowboys
aaawall91	6.02	Kellen Winslow	TE	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sex Panther	6.03	Tony Romo	QB	Dallas Cowboys
logan	6.04	Matt Schaub	QB	Houston Texans
The Lung	6.05	Santonio Holmes	WR	New York Jets
Cowboys 4 Life	6.06	Anquan Boldin	WR	Baltimore Ravens
WaCougMBS	6.07	Pierre Garcon	WR	Indianapolis Colts
TruNinerFan	6.08	Michael Crabtree	WR	San Francisco 49ers
FFslacker	6.09	Santana Moss	WR	Washington Redskins
scottaa1	6.10	Austin Collie	WR	Indianapolis Colts
Indibuck	6.11	Ryan Grant	RB	Green Bay Packers
Kareighuis	6.12	Joseph Addai	RB	Indianapolis Colts

Round 6 had a number of guys go who I really like to have great seasons. Santonio Holmes at 6.05 could be a huge value. Sanchez seemed to like Holmes throughout the season, and he put up excellent numbers despite missing the first four games of the season. If the Jets continue on their upward trend, Holmes could put up some very good numbers next season should he return. Drafter The Lung took Holmes as his #2 wideout, and taking a No. 2 WR who could put up No. 1 numbers midway through Round 6 makes this another excellent value pick. The next guy I really like is Anquan Boldin at 6.06. With the emergence of Joe Flacco and the slow age decline of Derrick Mason, Boldin could very well put up numbers even better than his 2010 season. Finally, Ryan Grant at 6.11 is another great pick. Grant has always been a consistent performer until his injury during the first game of the 2010. Before his injury, Grant had three seasons of 15-plus games and over 900 rushing yards each season. While he isn’t a crazy home run threat, he can clearly rack up a consistent load for you each season. Late sixth round isn’t a bad deal for a guy who, if healthy, will rush for over 900 yards.

Round 7

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
Kareighuis	7.01	Ben Roethlisberger	QB	Pittsburgh Steelers
Indibuck	7.02	Johnny Knox	WR	Chicago Bears
scottaa1	7.03	Danny Amendola	WR	St. Louis Rams
FFslacker	7.04	Mario Manningham	WR	New York Giants
TruNinerFan	7.05	Matt Ryan	QB	Atlanta Falcons
WaCougMBS	7.06	Davone Bess	WR	Miami Dolphins
Cowboys 4 Life	7.07	Braylon Edwards	WR	New York Jets
The Lung	7.08	Malcom Floyd	WR	San Diego Chargers
logan	7.09	Deion Branch	WR	New England Patriots
Sex Panther	7.10	Owen Daniels	TE	Houston Texans
aaawall91	7.11	Marshawn Lynch	RB	Seattle Seahawks
FantasyFutballGuru13	7.12	Mike Williams	WR	Seattle Seahawks

Round 7 saw the wrap up of the top 10 QBs off the board with Roethlisberger at 7.01 and Matt Ryan at 7.05. Both are average picks and should play well for their position. It’s good upside for Roethlisberger though, who put up good numbers after only playing 12 games in the 2010 season. The next pick that sticks out to me is Danny Amendola at 7.03. Drafter scottaa1 said:

“Danny was 9th overall in receptions in 2010. Hoping that Bradford and Co. can continue to improve and Amendola becomes a bona fide WR2-ish type.”

Considering the good things we saw out of Sam Bradford in his first year, chances are we will see just that out of Amendola next year.

Round 8

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
FantasyFutballGuru13	8.01	James Jones	WR	Green Bay Packers
aaawall91	8.02	C.J. Spiller	RB	Buffalo Bills
Sex Panther	8.03	Chris Wells	RB	Arizona Cardinals
logan	8.04	Zach Miller	TE	Oakland Raiders
The Lung	8.05	Ryan Torain	RB	Washington Redskins
Cowboys 4 Life	8.06	Chad Ochocinco	WR	Cincinnati Bengals
WaCougMBS	8.07	Mike Thomas	WR	Jacksonville Jaguars
TruNinerFan	8.08	James Starks	RB	Green Bay Packers
FFslacker	8.09	Sam Bradford	QB	St. Louis Rams
scottaa1	8.10	Mike Tolbert	RB	San Diego Chargers
Indibuck	8.11	Fred Jackson	RB	Buffalo Bills
Kareighuis	8.12	Steve Smith	WR	New York Giants

The midpoint of the draft had come, and drafters were starting to have to dig to find worthwhile picks for their teams. Fragile waiver wire wonder Ryan Torain went at 8.05, while prima donna receiver Chad Ochocinco (soon to be Johnson again?) went at 8.06. Ocho/Johnson might not be the threat he was five years ago, but he still has some gas in the tank. Promising rookie QB Sam Bradford went at 8.09. FFslacker had some good things to say about him:

“With a very good rookie year under his belt and the addition of Josh McDaniels as O.C. I think [Bradford] is poised for a very strong fantasy and real football year.”

Round 9

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
Kareighuis	9.01	Jimmy Graham	TE	New Orleans Saints
Indibuck	9.02	Mike Sims-Walker	WR	Jacksonville Jaguars
scottaa1	9.03	Robert Meachem	WR	New Orleans Saints
FFslacker	9.04	Danny Woodhead	RB	New England Patriots
TruNinerFan	9.05	Lance Moore	WR	New Orleans Saints
WaCougMBS	9.06	Tim Hightower	RB	Arizona Cardinals
Cowboys 4 Life	9.07	Ronnie Brown	RB	Miami Dolphins
The Lung	9.08	Rob Gronkowski	TE	New England Patriots
logan	9.09	Pierre Thomas	RB	New Orleans Saints
Sex Panther	9.10	Steve Smith	WR	Carolina Panthers
aaawall91	9.11	Josh Freeman	QB	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
FantasyFutballGuru13	9.12	Joe Flacco	QB	Baltimore Ravens

The latter half of the green had arrived in the form of Rounds 9-16, and with pickings slowly slimming, we still find some great value picks in this round. The first is Carolina wideout Steve Smith at 9.10. Now, no one can deny that the QB situation in Carolina is awful and the offense is a wreck, but Smith is only a year removed from a 900-plus-yard, seven-TD season, and with the presence of a new offensive coordinator, I think we could see some good things from Smith this season. It’s a low risk high reward pick coming at the end of the ninth round as the fourth WR for Sex Panther. The next pick I really like is Josh Freeman at 9.11. Freeman turned in a solid year headlining an exciting young Tampa team. As a QB2, aaawall91 made an excellent pick.

Round 10

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
FantasyFutballGuru13	10.01	Jordan Shipley	WR	Cincinnati Bengals
aaawall91	10.02	Donald Brown	RB	Indianapolis Colts
Sex Panther	10.03	LaDanian Tomlinson	RB	New York Jets
logan	10.04	Randy Moss	WR	Tennessee Titans
The Lung	10.05	Matt Cassel	QB	Kansas City Chiefs
Cowboys 4 Life	10.06	Eli Manning	QB	New York Giants
WaCougMBS	10.07	Nate Burleson	WR	Detroit Lions
TruNinerFan	10.08	Jerome Simpson	WR	Cincinnati Bengals
FFslacker	10.09	Chris Ivory	RB	New Orleans Saints
scottaa1	10.10	Michael Bush	RB	Oakland Raiders
Indibuck	10.11	Jay Cutler	QB	Chicago Bears
Kareighuis	10.12	Emmanuel Sanders	WR	Pittsburgh Steelers

The tenth round saw a glut of backup running backs in the form of Donald Brown at 10.02, Ivory at 10.09, and Bush at 10.10. Never a bad idea to backup or handcuff ones running backs, especially with the constant pounding a feature RB receives each game. Round 10 also featured some later round QBs, a strategy I tend to subscribe to. The Lung scored competent QB Matt Cassel as a backup to the explosive but fragile Mike Vick at 10.05. Younger Manning bro Eli at 10.06 and Jay Cutler at 10.11 were also drafted as backups to round out solid QB corps. Emmanuel Sanders finished the round as a good potential explosive receiver in a high powered offense. He’s an excellent late round selection in my book.

Round 11

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
Kareighuis	11.01	Brandon Jacobs	RB	New York Giants
Indibuck	11.02	Brandon Pettigrew	TE	Detroit Lions
scottaa1	11.03	Hines Ward	WR	Pittsburgh Steelers
FFslacker	11.04	Danario Alexander	WR	St. Louis Rams
TruNinerFan	11.05	Matthew Stafford	QB	Detroit Lions
WaCougMBS	11.06	Rashad Jennings	RB	Jacksonville Jaguars
Cowboys 4 Life	11.07	Jacoby Ford	WR	Oakland Raiders
The Lung	11.08	Tashard Choice	RB	Dallas Cowboys
logan	11.09	Carson Palmer	QB	Cincinnati Bengals
Sex Panther	11.10	Pittsburgh D/ST	D/ST	Pittsburgh Steelers
aaawall91	11.11	Javon Ringer	RB	Tennessee Titans
FantasyFutballGuru13	11.12	Mike Goodson	RB	Carolina Panthers

Round 11 played host to an infamous pick in every Cafe draft: the first defense off the board. The Pittsburgh Steelers defense at 11.10 would be the only defense drafted until nearly two rounds later. Sex Panther commented on his controversial pick:

“Opted for an elite D rather than addressing depth, hopefully no SB hangover and as far as I know, all their vital cogs are in place going into next year.”

Brandon Pettigrew at 11.02 was another talked about pick among the drafters. Indibuck, the drafter who picked Pettigrew, commented on his pick:

“I liked Pettigrew quite a bit over the next few TEs. He quietly put together a decent season of 71/722/4 on 110 targets. He finished TE7 in straight PPR leagues in 2010, and if the TDs go up he is a steal at this spot.”

Finally, my personal favorite pick of this round is young Lions QB Matthew Stafford at 11.05. Stafford has battled injury troubles through his first two seasons, only playing 13 games in two seasons. He is clearly an injury risk and a gamble, but I would definitely be willing to take him in the later rounds and definitely in Round 11 with the upside he has displayed.

Round 12

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
FantasyFutballGuru13	12.01	Marcedes Lewis	TE	Jacksonville Jaguars
aaawall91	12.02	Anthony Dixon	RB	San Francisco 49ers
Sex Panther	12.03	Plaxico Burress	WR	Free Agent
logan	12.04	Arrelious Benn	WR	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Lung	12.05	Chris Cooley	TE	Washington Redskins
Cowboys 4 Life	12.06	Ricky Williams	RB	Miami Dolphins
WaCougMBS	12.07	Bernard Scott	RB	Cincinnati Bengals
TruNinerFan	12.08	Aaron Hernandez	TE	New England Patriots
FFslacker	12.09	Montario Hardesty	RB	Cleveland Browns
scottaa1	12.10	Jacoby Jones	WR	Houston Texans
Indibuck	12.11	Toby Gerhart	RB	Minnesota Vikings
Kareighuis	12.12	Jordy Nelson	WR	Green Bay Packers

Round 12 rolled around with pickings continuing to slim, but a number of good players were still on the board. I really like two TE picks from this round: Marcedes Lewis at 12.01 and Chris Cooley at 12.05. Lewis quietly put up a 700-yard, 10-TD season and was the 14th TE taken. It’s still an early draft, but if this is the typical range we can see for him, I’ll probably target him myself. Chris Cooley was taken as the 15th TE off the board, and The Lung had good things to say about him:

“So Cooley had 77 receptions last year which was second for TEs in the NFL, and yet in a PPR league he was the 15th TE taken. I’ll gladly scoop him up in the 12th.”

Good as these two picks were, the most interesting pick of this round was free agent WR Plaxico Burress at 12.03. Depending on whether he is picked up by someone or not, this could either be a huge gamble that pays off or a simple wasted late rounder pick.

Round 13

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
Kareighuis	13.01	Willis McGahee	RB	Baltimore Ravens
Indibuck	13.02	Terrell Owens	WR	Cincinnati Bengals
scottaa1	13.03	Thomas Jones	RB	Kansas City Chiefs
FFslacker	13.04	Green Bay D/ST	D/ST	Green Bay Packers
TruNinerFan	13.05	New York D/ST	D/ST	New York Jets
WaCougMBS	13.06	Steve Breaston	WR	Arizona Cardinals
Cowboys 4 Life	13.07	Dustin Keller	TE	New York Jets
The Lung	13.08	Ben Obamanu	WR	Seattle Seahawks
logan	13.09	Jermaine Gresham	TE	Cincinnati Bengals
Sex Panther	13.10	Todd Heap	TE	Baltimore Ravens
aaawall91	13.11	Justin Forsett	RB	Seattle Seahawks
FantasyFutballGuru13	13.12	Anthony Armstrong	WR	Washington Redskins

Round 13 featured a few more defenses and a couple awesome sleeper picks. Cincinnati prima donna No. 2 WR Terrell Owens was drafted at 13.02 and could very well provide a great late round value. Owens rebounded strongly and was most likely on his way to posting yet another 1000-yard, double digit-TD season before an injury ended his 2010 season two games early. If his season is anything close to last year, picking him in Round 13 could very well be another huge value. The next excellent sleeper pick was Anthony Armstrong at 13.12. FantasyFutballGuru13 sums up his thoughts on Armstrong:

“Quietly went for almost 900 yards last season, low TD totals and a franchise that may or may not be headed in the right direction are concerns, but he’s a starter and could actually end up being the No. 1 guy if Moss leaves.”

Round 14

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
FantasyFutballGuru13	14.01	Ryan Fitzpatrick	QB	Buffalo Bills
aaawall91	14.02	Harry Douglas	WR	Atlanta Falcons
Sex Panther	14.03	Kyle Orton	QB	Denver Broncos
logan	14.04	Derrick Mason	WR	Baltimore Ravens
The Lung	14.05	Chicago D/ST	D/ST	Chicago Bears
Cowboys 4 Life	14.06	New England D/ST	D/ST	New England Patriots
WaCougMBS	14.07	Louis Murphy	WR	Oakland Raiders
TruNinerFan	14.08	Clinton Portis	RB	Washington Redskins
FFslacker	14.09	Dexter McCluster	WR	Kansas City Chiefs
scottaa1	14.10	San Diego D/ST	D/ST	San Diego Chargers
Indibuck	14.11	Mark Clayton	WR	St. Louis Rams
Kareighuis	14.12	Tim Tebow	QB	Denver Broncos

Round 14 leaves the draft gasping for air on its last three rounds of life, with drafters feeling similarly breathless. This is the diamond in the rough stage featuring the castoffs, the flyers. Few players from here on out will be worth much more than bench depth, and there is a plethora of defenses and kickers being taken. Nonetheless, the drafters and I seemed to like a few of the picks found this round. Surprising QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was drafted at 14.01. After a solid season, he is an excellent late round pick as a backup and bye-week fill in. Ever confusing, injured, and aging Clinton Portis went at 14.08. He’s a shell of his former self, but if he manages to stay healthy at all and produce anything, he’ll be a valuable depth player, especially drafted in the 14th round. KC wideout Dexter McCluster went at 14.09. Drafter indibuck seemed to like this pick saying:

“Nice pick… he’s an electric player with upside if he can stay healthy.”

Evidently some injury risk is involved with McCluster, but in the 14th round, he’s worth a shot. Finally, Mark Clayton went at 14.11. Clayton was quietly racking up a good 2010 season before his season ending injury and the drafters seemed to recognize this possible rapport with the young Sam Bradford. Once again, indibuck comments on the pick:

“Many forget the chemistry that Clayton and Bradford showed before Clayton got hurt in Week 5. Before the injury, Clayton was a must-start in leagues that startthree WRs. Assuming St. Louis re-signs the free agent Clayton (and all indications are that they will), and assuming some better luck in the health department, Clayton is a good bet to greatly outperform his draft spot.”

Round 15

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
Kareighuis	15.01	New York D/ST	D/ST	New York Giants
Indibuck	15.02	Philadelphia D/ST	D/ST	Philadelphia Eagles
scottaa1	15.03	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	WR	Baltimore Ravens
FFslacker	15.04	Mason Crosby	K	Green Bay Packers
TruNinerFan	15.05	Kevin Kolb	QB	Philadelphia Eagles
WaCougMBS	15.06	Dallas D/ST	D/ST	Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys 4 Life	15.07	David Akers	K	Philadelphia Eagles
The Lung	15.08	Jason Snelling	RB	Atlanta Falcons
logan	15.09	Baltimore D/ST	D/ST	Baltimore Ravens
Sex Panther	15.10	Stephen Gostkowski	K	New England Patriots
aaawall91	15.11	Cincinnati D/ST	D/ST	Cincinnati Bengals
FantasyFutballGuru13	15.12	Josh Brown	K	St. Louis Rams

Round 15 resulted it what you’d expect: defenses, kickers, and some deep sleeper picks. It’s worth noting that in this round, three NFC East defenses were picked (Giants at 15.01, Eagles at 15.02, and Cowboys at 15.06). All three seem to have some fantasy relevance. The Giants and Cowboys generate sacks, while the Eagles D seems to have good luck in the turnover generating department. One of the more interesting picks of the round was Eagles backup QB Kevin Kolb. TruNinerFan seemed to think highly of this pick:

“If the Eagles keep him, then I fully expect him to step in and produce huge numbers WHEN Vick gets hurt. I have no faith in Vick staying healthy all year. I think Kolb will see a lot of playing time if he stays in Philly. If the Eagles trade him, I see him being a successful QB on a new team. Kolb is a very talented QB and I think he will only get better as he plays more. I could have a top 10 QB with my second-to-last pick.”

He’s got a lot of faith in Kolb, and not a lot of faith in Vick. Only time will tell if this bold pick pays off.

Round 16

Drafter	Pick #	Player	Position	Team
FantasyFutballGuru13	16.01	New Orleans D/ST	D/ST	New Orleans Saints
aaawall91	16.02	Adam Vinatieri	K	Indianapolis Colts
Sex Panther	16.03	Demaryius Thomas	WR	Denver Broncos
logan	16.04	Matt Bryant	K	Atlanta Falcons
The Lung	16.05	Sebastian Janikowski	K	Oakland Raiders
Cowboys 4 Life	16.06	Marion Barber	RB	Dallas Cowboys
WaCougMBS	16.07	David Buehler	K	Dallas Cowboys
TruNinerFan	16.08	Nate Kaeding	K	San Diego Chargers
FFslacker	16.09	Ben Tate	RB	Houston Texans
scottaa1	16.10	Neil Rackers	K	Houston Texans
Indibuck	16.11	Dan Carpenter	K	Miami Dolphins
Kareighuis	16.12	Jeff Reed	K	San Francisco 49ers

At last we’ve made it. Round 16 is here, and the final picks of the mock draft are in. This round was heavily kicker dominated, with eight going in this round alone. Notables include the ever clutch Adam Vinatieri at 16.02, 2010 dominant kicker Sebastian Janikowski at 16.05, and the ever reliable Nate Kaeding at 16.08. Two other picks also stand out to me in this round. Ben Tate at 16.09 was a victim of the injury bug last season after being a hot pick in rookie drafts to be the feature back in Houston. He’ll most likely be relegated to back up duty with Arian Foster showing his stuff throughout the season, but if Foster were to go down, his talent could mean excellent value in the 16th round. Finally, the sad case of Marion Barber, drafted at 16.06. He’s the textbook example for making you think “how the mighty have fallen.” It wasn’t long ago that “Marion the Barbarian” was striking fear in defenders and defensive coordinators with his hard-nosed, rough-and-tough style of play. Mismanagement and the emergence of Choice and Jones in the Cowboys backfield have slowly made all three barely fantasy relevant. However, if Barber can at all regain his old form, this could be yet another steal of a pick.

Final Thoughts

One hundred and ninety-two NFL fantasy players were drafted through the course of the sixteen-round Extremely Early Mock Draft. However, this doesn’t mean the guys left off this long list are entirely irrelevant. Our drafters realized this, and some of them were kind enough to tell us exactly who they thought were some of the top undrafted players. Here are some of their responses:

Indibuck: “The one guy not drafted that stood out to me was WR Brandon Tate. If he can stay healthy, I think Tate has a lot of upside, although more so in a standard league as opposed to our PPR draft.”

TruNinerFan: “I agree with Brandon Tate. If he gets on the field he can produce big numbers in that pass happy offense.”

Cowboys 4 life: “Devin Aroshmadu. A team that throws that much should be able to spread it around. I think he is better than Hester, who is being force-fed the WR role even though he isn’t a true WR in my eyes.”

FantasyFutballGuru13: “Sorta tough to pin-point players here. My rankings far from complete I’ll just throw a name out there: Brandon Gibson. Julio Jones is looking less likely to fall to the Rams in this April’s draft, and even if they take a receiver in the second or third rounds they won’t necessarily step in and make a big impact right off the bat. Gibson has had trouble with his hands, but seems to understand the offense (going into third year in the league, second with this offense) and will definitely be involved. How much is yet to be seen, but someone has to step up for Bradford. Honestly I don’t think he should’ve been drafted in a 12 teamer, but someone to keep an eye on after the draft.”

Kareighuis: “If I didn’t need a kicker, Joe McKnight, Eddie Royal, Mark Sanchez and Jared Cook were all at the top of my consideration list.”

We at the Cafe had a lot of fun doing this draft. It got our juices flowing for the (hopefully) 2011 NFL season. We hope you enjoy this mock as much as we did and we hope you are able to use this to get your bearings for your draft strategy and drafts for the next season. A big thanks to all the drafters who participated, any alternates who made picks, and especially to The Lung who spearheaded the drafting process, moderated, and made sure everything stayed on time. Happy drafting to everyone.

 
Jason is one of the many crazy folks who plays fantasy football. He's been playing since 2006 and is thoroughly addicted. He's an avid Eagles fan with a passion for all things Philadelphia. You can find him at the Cafe under the name of m16a.
 

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